We've priced ourselves out of business

[D2Cat]

If it's difficult to understand, click on the CC (closed caption).

 

[GeoHorn]

I’ve had occasional body damage on recent-mfr vehicles and when insurance was claimed, the body shop offered to install “aftermarket” and/or “salvage” parts….versus OEM/NOS.

I have always insisted on OEM/NOS on newer vehicles repaired under an ins-claim.

If I were to be restoring a classic-car…. I’d likely select the aftermarket/new-restoration parts. Being made in Taiwan is fine with me. I’m happy to support Allies. I also buy U.K., CDN, German, Ukraine, and Mexico. (I think it’s good for people who live there to have good jobs rather than migrate.)

But in some cases, I recognize certain USA built stuff is superior product…and if so, that’s where I source them

I don’t see it as “pricing ourselves out-of-business”. I see it as a free/market economy.

(My bad behavior also rears it’s ugly head when I buy HF. I should re-address that.)

I agree we have a tendency to abandon traditional mfr’g …and the American steel-industry has suffered…. I’ve seen Lone Star Steel in East Tx lose to foreign steel…and I don’t need to visit Pittsburgh or Detroit to know what it’s like up there. These industries have suffered due to environmental and cheaper foreign-labor. My recent metal-bldg construction is made from Mexican steel. (Those folks don’t have the benefits or life-styles upon which most American workers insist.)

Automation has addressed some of it …but robotics have both good and bad sides to it…. I think it’s a large part of the future.

.

 

[ctfjr]

Bethlehem Steel - or the museum it is now

 

[jyoutz]

I’ve had occasional body damage on recent-mfr vehicles and when insurance was claimed, the body shop offered to install “aftermarket” and/or “salvage” parts….versus OEM/NOS.

I have always insisted on OEM/NOS on newer vehicles repaired under an ins-claim.

If I were to be restoring a classic-car…. I’d likely select the aftermarket/new-restoration parts. Being made in Taiwan is fine with me. I’m happy to support Allies. I also buy U.K., CDN, German, Ukraine, and Mexico. (I think it’s good for people who live there to have good jobs rather than migrate.)

But in some cases, I recognize certain USA built stuff is superior product…and if so, that’s where I source them

I don’t see it as “pricing ourselves out-of-business”. I see it as a free/market economy.

(My bad behavior also rears it’s ugly head when I buy HF. I should re-address that.)

I agree we have a tendency to abandon traditional mfr’g …and the American steel-industry has suffered…. I’ve seen Lone Star Steel in East Tx lose to foreign steel…and I don’t need to visit Pittsburgh or Detroit to know what it’s like up there. These industries have suffered due to environmental and cheaper foreign-labor. My recent metal-bldg construction is made from Mexican steel. (Those folks don’t have the benefits or life-styles upon which most American workers insist.)

Automation has addressed some of it …but robotics have both good and bad sides to it…. I think it’s a large part of the future.

.

Agree with much of your discussion, but I have a question regarding HF purchases. Will you quit buying China tools there and instead buy China tools at HD or Lowe’s?

 

[DustyRusty]

(My bad behavior also rears it’s ugly head when I buy HF. I should re-address that.)

Is that the only time????????????

GeoHorn, are you willing to support American businesses by purchasing Snap-On tools? Would you use your HF tools to work on your airplane? Do they use HF tools at the major air terminals where large aircraft are serviced?

 

[Speed25]

Do they use HF tools at the major air terminals where large aircraft are serviced?

Most guys don't, but some of the younger ones do. Torque wrenches and calibrated tools are all certified top quality stuff at least.

Now, if you're asking what tools they use at Boeing to build them to start with, you might be onto something based on recent news...

I've started buying more old tools and estate stuff to get good USA-made tools at a good price, but those are mostly the standard socket sets, wrench sets, etc and not much specialty stuff.

 

[Ktrim]

Agree with much of your discussion, but I have a question regarding HF purchases. Will you quit buying China tools there and instead buy China tools at HD or Lowe’s?

Snap on

 

[jyoutz]

Snap on

I don’t want a second mortgage. Those prices are supported by professional mechanics who can deduct the price of those tools as a business expense.

 

[GeoHorn]

Is that the only time????????????

GeoHorn, are you willing to support American businesses by purchasing Snap-On tools? Would you use your HF tools to work on your airplane? Do they use HF tools at the major air terminals where large aircraft are serviced?

I actually paid my way thru college and flight-school working as a mechanic and have toolbox(s) full of Snap-On, MAC, and Thor, and Craftsman, etc.

My HF stuff is mostly things I expected to use once and throw away…. and that’s gone both ways.

It’s true that ever since Nixon opened the China Door things from there have proliferated. It used to be Japan and Taiwan…but mostly these days it’s China…who also owns a large chunk of U.S. Treasury Bonds (Japan owns ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).)

I saw a show on PBS (I think it was) in which a young Chinese-Amercan went thru his neighborhood asking his neighbors to go thru their houses….and place/store anything made in China in their garages for One Month…. and promise not to buy any Xmas gifts that year which are made in China.
It was an eye-opener: Lamps, tables, chairs, silverware, dishes, cooking-pots, light-bulbs, Shoes, tools,… and also a lot of Tires, Computers/Cell-phones/toys/etc (w/China components).
Chinese products are so pervasive it’s difficult to operate daily without using them.

My wife and I toured Europe last Fall….and I found very few things made in China there.
They are less “consumerism” or materialistic than we Americans are, in my view.
It’s become a World-Economy… with both Good and Bad results.

”We have met the enemy …and he is us.” - Pogo (comic-strip character)

 

[dlsmith]

The 1970 Nova I have been restoring for the last few years needed a lot of new body panels and pieces, I found a couple of NOS pieces, the rest I bought from AMD, who has them made in Taiwan. The body man said they fir pretty well, no real problems. I had previously bought a pair of made in China new front fenders from Dynacorn and after a few days cutting and reshaping the right fender, I gave up. The left one was worse, the reinforcement that runs the length of the fender sat 3/8" too high on the cowl. Finally figured out the reinforcement was welded in wrong and there was no practical way to salvage it. I ordered a new set of fenders from AMD, and waited 9 months to get them, this was during the COVID epidemic. Finally got them and the fit very well, only some minor work on the right side was needed.
As far as tools, I have probably $30K (probably more like $100K today)worth of Snap-On tools and boxes I bought back in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and a fair amount of Craftsman tools also. I have bough a few tools from HF, probably not more than a few hundred dollars worth, total. Most have been okay, a few were total crap and I returned them.
I bought a new pair of Snap-On pliers a few months ago, long nosed, with cushioned grips, a little over $70. They do work well for a lot of applications though.

 

[DustyRusty]

My Snap-On tools are so old that they belong in the Smithsonian Museum. The nice thing is that they will replace just about anything that they have with a modern alternative if one is available. I just had my coil spring compressor replaced because of one broken part. The new one looks just like the old one right down to the Snap-On script.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

crazy prices.....
OK, gas pressure washer hose pinholed...need a new one. 'entry level' plastic, 1/4" ,M22,25'
Check Princess Auto, last year $30, today $60 ! ouch
Check Amazon as grandaughter has account.... hmm $46, better
Check TEMU, $16 !!!!
So HOW does that work ???
All three are 'entry level' and the cheapest one is 30', so that's a bonus.
ALL the big box stores were close to $100 for essentially the same hose.

I've also started buying SS washers from TEMU. 1/2 price or less of nickle ones locally.
some dayze I just shake my head.....

 

[D2Cat]

crazy prices.....
OK, gas pressure washer hose pinholed...need a new one. 'entry level' plastic, 1/4" ,M22,25'
Check Princess Auto, last year $30, today $60 ! ouch
Check Amazon as grandaughter has account.... hmm $46, better
Check TEMU, $16 !!!!
So HOW does that work ???
All three are 'entry level' and the cheapest one is 30', so that's a bonus.
ALL the big box stores were close to $100 for essentially the same hose.

I've also started buying SS washers from TEMU. 1/2 price or less of nickle ones locally.
some dayze I just shake my head.....

Good luck. TEMU is not getting my credit card info no matter how good of deal they represent piecewise!

 

[fried1765]

Good luck. TEMU is not getting my credit card info no matter how good of deal they represent piecewise!

Your credit card company will not reimburse you for a fraudulent transaction?

 

[Speed25]

Your credit card company will not reimburse you for a fraudulent transaction?

I think the bigger issue is giving all of that information to the Chinese government, though they probably have it already anyway.

 

[fried1765]

I think the bigger issue is giving all of that information to the Chinese government, though they probably have it already anyway.

Folks who are worried about Chinese credit card issues , should not use a cell phone either.

 

[Speed25]

Folks who are worried about that, should not use a cellphone either.

Or the internet... or this forum...

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

We taxed and regulated ourselves out of being competitive and/or affordable. Someone else will happily eat our lunch.

 

[DustyRusty]

Throw out everything you own that comes from China, and you will find yourself in an empty home.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

so.. D2CAT, please post a list of where you buy your 'stuff' from .
Odds are real good 99.44% of it was made in China